New Refineries for Karbala and Maysan

The Iraqi Oil Ministry wants to build two new refineries in the provinces of Karbala [Kerbala] and Missan [Maysan], in order to reduce the country’s dependency on foreign oil imports, according to AKnews.

The one in Karbala will produce up to 140.000 barrels of fuel per day, the one in Missan up to 150,000.

The announcement comes one day after the Oil Ministry reported that Iraq is still not able to produce enough oil and gas to meet its own demands. While Iraq produces 8 million liters of liquid gas per day, it consumes approximately 12 million liters.

The situation is even worse as far as oil is concerned: 12 million liters of refined oil are produced in Iraq every day, however another 12 million liters have to be imported from international markets.

In a move that some regards as a panic reaction, the Oil Ministry this weekend halted its programme to provide free fuel to owners of generators. The programme started in June in order to increase private energy production and cost $400 million [468 billion Iraqi dinars].